Sunday, November 24, 2013

Insurers Cut Doctors' Fees in New Obamacare Plans

Insurers are slashing payments to medical practices in many of the plans they sell through the new health-law marketplaces—sparking worries that Americans signing up for coverage will have fewer doctors to choose from if low fees spark an exodus from the plans. 
UnitedHealth Group Inc. sent some New York City physicians contract amendments as recently as this month setting rates well below what doctors normally see from private insurance, including less than $40 for a typical office visit and about $20 for reading a mammogram, according to confidential documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
"We have heard from a lot of physicians the rates [insurers] are offering them are very low, and physicians are questioning whether they are going to participate," said Sam Unterricht, a Brooklyn ophthalmologist and president of the Medical Society of the State of New York. 
Some of United's rates fall close to what the state Medicaid program for low-income people pays for the same services. The fees for some office visits are less than half of what doctors in the city say they receive for treating people covered by employer-sponsored insurance. Six doctors elsewhere in New York reported lower rates from a range of insurers, including United, but declined to specify rates citing confidentiality agreements.
"Our goal is to provide exchange members with a robust choice of providers," said a statement issued by United. The insurer added that it would "offer physicians the choice of participating at rates that are above Medicaid and comparable to historical rates." Few New Yorkers have historically purchased coverage on the individual market, and doctors say their rates for most employer-sponsored plans are much higher. The company initially notified doctors of new rates in April. 
WellPoint Inc.'s Anthem unit in Connecticut offered Steven Levine, an ear nose and throat specialist in Trumbull, rates for exchange plans he said "were not what a reasonable person would consider acceptable." He says he declined the contract.
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1 comment:

BOSMAN said...

"We have heard from a lot of physicians the rates [insurers] are offering them are very low, and physicians are questioning whether they are going to participate," said Sam Unterricht, a Brooklyn ophthalmologist and president of the Medical Society of the State of New York.

It's like this ALL OVER the country. What they want to do is bring in more physician assistants because they can pay them less. The quality of Health care will go down the tubes.

It will become like Jiffy Lube. In and out in 10-15 minutes at most. It's my understanding that These PA's are trained to treat symptoms rather than the underlying cause of your problem like a REAL DOCTOR would. A Real Doctor would only be brought in if the PA feels it's beyond his/her ability to treat.....NO THANKS....I'LL PASS.

http://www.rightspeak.net/2013/11/insurers-cut-doctors-fees-in-new.html